The Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) continues to be the premier organization for nursing professional development (NPD). This year marked the 30th anniversary of ANPD. Our rich history was so nicely captured at the convention in Phoenix with the beautiful timeline display and other artifacts including the National Nursing Staff Development Organization charter. If you are one of the unfortunate few who missed Convention 2019, you can still learn about the history of ANPD by reviewing the special anniversary article entitled, "Ninety Years and Counting: The Past, Present, and Future of the Nursing Professional Development Specialty" (Maloney & Woolforde, 2019) by visiting https://journals.lww.com/jnsdonline/Fulltext/2019/03000/Ninety_Years_and_Countin.
Throughout the convention, and otherwise, one comment I often heard from NPD practitioners was, "I would love to engage even more with ANPD. How do I go about doing that?" Well, there are many ways you can engage further.
BECOME A MEMBER
If you are reading this article though your access to the Journal for Nurses in Professional Development (JNPD) as an ANPD member, that is a great start! If you are reading this article through another access route and you are not a member, do not waste any more time. It so easy to join ANPD! Membership fees are very reasonable especially when compared to some other organizations. As a member you will get access to several digital publications including JNPD, TrendLines, NPD News, and the NPD Dialogue blog.
As a member, you will get subscriptions to six electronic issues of JNPD, the official journal of ANPD. JNPD is always packed, cover to cover, with relevant publications about the vast array of topics making an impact across the specialty.
You will also receive TrendLines, which is ANPD's electronic newsletter. Members receive 12 issues of this easy-to-read NPD update e-document every year.
NPD News is ANPD's environmental scanning resource, exclusively available for members. Articles in NPD News are composed of content gleaned from various industry-related publications, worldwide print and electronic news outlets, including the top U.S. newspapers, business trade journals, national and international wire services, and websites. Every issue includes a holistic view of the news relevant to members, including policy and best practices, and serves to educate and inform readers of what is happening in the world of NPD (ANPD, 2019).
There are always great posts on the NPD Dialogue blog. Some recent postings include one about the Transition to NPD Practice Fellowship Course and another about the Professional Development Associate role.
Other member benefits include savings on products such as the Scope and Standards, the Core Curriculum, and the Leadership texts, as well as savings on NPD certification and recertification fees and savings on convention registration. You can learn more about all of these member resources on the ANPD website.
JOIN AN AFFILIATE
Being a member of an affiliate allows you to network and connect with members in your area and beyond. It also offers a number of other advantages. Some of the activities that affiliates may provide include NPD certification preparation courses as well as educational offerings on relevant issues in NPD. Because affiliates are also allowed to use recorded ANPD webinars, some will do so to provide continuing nursing education at meetings. By submitting the appropriate information to ANPD after showing a recorded ANPD webinar at an affiliate event, attendees can earn contact hours for the activity.
No affiliate in your area? Consider starting one! Starting an affiliate is easy. All that is needed is a group of interested individuals and completion of very uncomplicated paperwork. You can find more information on starting an affiliate by visiting http://www.ANPD.org. There, you will also find information on the locations of existing affiliates including contact information.
VOLUNTEER ON A COMMITTEE
Joining a committee is a great way to engage with ANPD. Granted, it is not easy to get on a committee considering that there many NPD practitioners who are interested in just a few spots on each committee. Nonetheless, you can't win if you're not in. So the next time you see one of those emails calling for volunteers, go ahead and respond. And if you don't get selected, don't get discouraged and don't take it personally. Just keep your eyes open for the next opportunity that aligns with your interests and skillset.
PARTICIPATE IN A WEBINAR
ANPD offers so many valuable webinars on topics of interest to NPD practitioners. There is something for those new to the specialty as well as for our experienced practitioners. Webinars help connect you to the organization and allow you to hear from colleagues about strategies they have put in place. Often, you will find that we are all experiencing the same or similar challenges, and through webinar participation, you receive valuable insights from the presenters and also learn about and potentially connect with NPD practitioners from across the country. As an ANPD member, you gain access to free webinars from both ANPD and from Lippincott Solutions (ANPD, 2019). Members can also access a recorded webinar free of charge. This comes in extremely handy when your schedule will not permit you to attend a live webinar. You do not have to miss out! Just view the recording and keep up to speed with contemporary topics in NPD.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
The Professional Development Center is a one-stop shop that allows ANPD members to complete continuing nursing education activities and maintain personal files of activities completed. Visit the Professional Development Center frequently. You will find that it is a great way to stay on top of the latest in NPD and a great way to get further connected with ANPD. Some of the things you can shop for there include live and recorded webinars, online courses, NPD certification practice flashcards and examination prep materials, convention recordings, books, gifts, merchandise, and toolkits! There are two areas in which you can browse and purchase products from the Professional Development Center; the online store and catalog. In the online store, you can peruse the many products and click on the link to make purchases. In the Professional Development Center catalog, if you find a product you are interested in, simply click the "Purchase" link and the item will be taken to your cart. An added benefit is that all contact hours received from learning management system based products in the Professional Development Center will automatically be added to your "Credits" tab. You can also add contact hours from other educational offerings (e.g., conferences, presentations, etc.) for personal tracking purposes. This makes it so easy when you need to keep track of your continuing education activities.
So if you are looking for ways to get more engaged with ANPD, these are just a few. Think about what you can incorporate in the coming weeks and months. Here is a tip: a great way to get started is to get a friend to team up with you and you do it together! See you around the ANPD circuit!
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